Dozens have been hospitalized from a recent Salmonella outbreak in the south west US. Unlike other recent salmonella strains, this strain has shown to be extremely resistant to antibiotics. So far health investigators do not know where this strain originated, but other recent salmonella outbreaks have come from food products packaged in unsterilized containers or poor conditions at the processing or packaging plant. Health officials suspect another food product they can not name until testing confirms their suspicion. No items can be pulled from store shelves without proof.
Salmonella bacteria cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. People with weakened immune systems, younger children and the elderly are more likely to be affected and hospitalized from Salmonella poisoning. In some cases Salmonella poisoning can develop into Reiter’s Syndrome, which is associated with chronic arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control estimates at least 40,000 people fall victim to Salmonella poisoning every year.
This year, several Salmonella outbreaks have been traced to tainted commercial foods. Earlier in the summer, Salmonella-laced Veggie Booty Snack Mix sickened more than 100 people around the country. And in February, Salmonella in ConAgra’s Great Value and Peter Pan Peanut Butter made more than 600 people ill. Just last month, it was learned that another ConAgra product was behind a Salmonella outbreak. The company recalled its Banquet and store brand pot pies on October 11, and the tainted pot pies have been linked to more than 270 cases of Salmonella poisoning nationwide.
